Snowflake in a Fiery Grip
by aashblack
Summary: Inuyasha is the king of Halloweenland. Starting to question his purpose in life, he follows his mother's spirit deep in the forest only to find magic doors to other worlds. He enters the portal to Christmasland and meets the most beautiful creature he has ever laid eyes on – Kagome. Inspired by 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' AU. InuKag.


**AN:** Hi everyone! I was watching 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' for the millionth time and ideas just started flowing through my brain! It sucks though, because I'm not a very good writer... and I feel as if I can't properly put into words what my mind is thinking... Oh well. -_- This is only my second attempt at fanfiction, so please don't be too mean! D: LOL thanks! xoxo ~~

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. One can only wish though... *le sigh*

* * *

_October 31__st_

A scream filled the air.

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes and groaned. Who could be ringing his doorbell this early in the day? He slowly got up out of bed, wiping the sleep dust from his eyes as he dragged his feet downstairs to open the door.

"What the fu-," Inuyasha started as he whipped the door open, "oh, it's just you Kikyo. What do you want?"

Kikyo looked up at Inuyasha with a smirk on her face. "Did you forget what day it is, Inuyasha? We have to prepare for the ceremony tonight," she said as she pushed her bangs out of her face, taking a chunk of her forehead with it.

Inuyasha grimaced. No matter how long they had known each other, he would never be comfortable seeing her body deteriorate before him.

"Keh, of course I didn't forget."

Of course he didn't forget. Today was _that _day. The day he had come to dread. October 31st. Halloween.

"I would hope not. Here, you're going to need this for the ceremony tonight," Kikyo replied as she handed him a dagger with jewels encrusted onto it. "You can't summon spirits if you don't do the killing with the proper weapon."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's not like I haven't been doing this for half a century or anything, Kikyo."

"Whatever mutt, I'll see you tonight," she replied as she turned around, making her way back from whence she came.

He snarled at her retreating figure. Inuyasha looked down at the blade in his hands, shuddering at what was to come.

He closed the front door and ran back up to his room. Choosing a pair of black jeans and a plain black t-shirt from his closet, he made his way over to his bathroom to get ready for the ceremony. Inuyasha sighed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. "Let's get this over with," he thought aloud.

* * *

Demons started to crowd the streets as the witching hour drew near, each hoping to get a glimpse of the King of Halloweentown in this year's ceremony.

All of a sudden, the jack o' lanterns that had littered the roads all lit up at once, and a fog started to creep up on the town's citizens, signaling that the commemoration had begun. Dark horses ran down the roadway, flames at their heels. An evil cackling could be heard from a distance, slowly getting louder and louder.

A tall hooded figure emerged from the fog, dragging behind him a young woman. She was gagged and bound, tears flowing from her eyes as she looked in horror at the demons surrounding her on either side. The figure walked up to the podium where the well was located, taking off his hood. Inuyasha looked at the crowd.

"My people!" he shouted, "Are we ready for blood to be spilled so we may see our loved ones again?!" The response was overwhelming. Inuyasha internally winced. Since when had they become so blood thirsty?

He shook it off. "Our own Naraku has chosen the sacrifice for us this year, a fair, young maiden!" he exclaimed while pulling said maiden up to her feet. The crowd roared, sounding like a bunch of savages. Inuyasha looked over the crowd, spotting his older brother far in the back, looking unamused as usual. He never was one who liked to participate in this barbaric ritual. Inuyasha couldn't really blame him.

Inuyasha pushed the girl over to the well, bending her backwards so her throat was over the opening. He pulled the bejeweled dagger out. "I hope you brought gifts for the souls!" he said as he forced himself to smile. He looked down at the girl, her eyes filled with fear and pleading him to have mercy. This never got any easier. He closed his eyes as he slit her throat, blood dripping down into the well. He looked at the maiden's lifeless body and threw it into the well, completing the ritual. He would have nightmares until next year's ceremony.

The town's inhabitants cheered as a purple miasma started to come from the well, the fog creeping back on its own. The crowded started to disperse, as they all made their way to the graveyard, waiting for the souls of their loved ones to appear.

Inuyasha waited for the last demon to leave, before he ran over to the graveyard. Just because he hated the 31st, didn't mean that he did not want to reap the benefits of his doing.

* * *

Inuyasha thanked the gods that his family had their own private burial plots, he did not want to deal with the townspeople. Not tonight. The girl's eyes were haunting him. He shrugged the impending guilt away - he had a tough guy image to uphold, and by god was he going to do that.

He leaned against his mother's headstone, knowing that the ritual took a few minutes before the souls actually came up.

He started talking anyways. "Mom, I… I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know how much longer I can do this. It's getting harder and harder to sleep at night…"

Just because he could push the guilt away while awake, didn't mean that it wouldn't creep back up in his unconsciousness.

"I'm tired of holding up this front, that killing innocent people doesn't affect me… because it does," he admitted, his hands started shaking. "Mom… please…"

He suddenly felt a cool breeze by his face. He looked up only to find the face of his mother, Izayoi.

"My dearest Inu…" she started, "fate has something truly special for you. Follow me." Her spirit then started drifting away, towards the forest. Inuyasha just stared at her retreating figure.

"What? That's it? No other explanation, no details? **Mom**!" he shouted after her, following her to wherever it was she wanted to take him.

* * *

Hours had passed and Inuyasha was still chasing after his mother. The sun was about to rise and her spirit was slowing down.

Eventually she stopped at a clearing in the woods. Inuyasha finally caught up to her, grabbing his knees, trying to catch his breath. Hey, just because he was a half-demon didn't mean that he could run forever.

After he caught his breath, he looked at his surroundings. He was surrounded by a circle of trees, each with an ornate door covering the front.

"Mom," he started, "what am I supposed to do?"

Izayoi's ghost looked down at her son. "Follow your gut, Inuyasha. Trust your senses. Your suffering will come to an end soon."

Inuyasha gulped. He was wary on opening these doors, he may have been unhappy, but he wasn't quite ready to die yet.

Izayoi's eyes softened. "Trust me, my son. Would I ever steer you wrong?" She looked over to the horizon, seeing the beginning rays of the sun. "I love you. Make me proud," she whispered as her spirit slowly disappeared.

Inuyasha was dumbfounded. 'Well, that wasn't cryptic _at all_,' he thought to himself. 'But… she must have brought me here for a reason.' He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again, twin golden pools with a look of determination whirling in them.

He started pacing the clearing, closely inspecting each door. One was shaped like a heart, another like a painted egg. His mother had said to follow his gut, but each of these doors just had him rolling his eyes. Then, he saw a sparkle in the corner of his eye. He whirled around only to find a tree-shaped door, filled with shining ornaments and presents littering the entrance. There was something about it… he walked towards the door, feeling as if a force was pulling him.

He gently turned the knob, and looked down.

Black. Emptiness. Nothing.

He sighed and turned around, until cold, white flakes began surrounding him. He fell backwards into the door.

* * *

After what seemed like centuries, Inuyasha finally saw something. It was white and coming fast. He closed his eyes and braced himself for a hard hit, but it never came. He opened his eyes; the flakes that had "pushed" him into the door were floating him down onto the ground. As soon as his feet hit the white surface, he looked around. Looked like he was surrounded by the stuff. He picked a handful off the ground and sniffed it, wanting to know what it was.

While he was studying the crystals of the white substance, he saw lights flickering in the distance. Where there were lights, there was a town! He started running towards the lights, wanting answers on where the hell he was! As he got closer to the lights, he began seeing the outlines of houses and shops, smirking to himself. He was so smart.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…"

His ears perked up. He had heard someone singing.

"Everywhere you go…"

The voice was beautiful, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. And that song! It had sounded so peaceful and, and joyous! He followed his ears to find the owner of the voice.

* * *

The voice had led him to a graveyard, how fitting.

"Out of the frying pan and into another…" Inuyasha muttered to himself. He walked around the graveyard, trying to find the source of the singing.

"…right within your heart…"

He was close. A few steps to the left, a couple steps forward, and he was behind a woman kneeling down in front of a headstone. She was decorating it, with… what was that plant? The owner of the voice stood up, wiping the white stuff off of her pants.

"Uhhh, do you know where I am?" Inuyasha asked, ever so tactfully.

The woman gasped and turned around. Crystal blue eyes locked with gold.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. A woman wasn't standing before him, but a goddess. He was in trouble.

* * *

**AN:** I KNOW, it seems so rushed and it sucks, agghhhh! Cut me some slack, it's 3AM over here hehe . I don't know how long this is going to be... I don't think it will be more than 10 chapters if even... meh.

Please review! *faints from exhaustion*


End file.
